Preventing child heatstroke deaths in Imperial County

EL CENTRO, Calif. (KYMA, KECY) - One child has died so far this year in the U.S. after being left in a hot car.

It's why Imperial County and the El Centro Fire Department (ECFD), along with the California Highway Patrol (CHP), joined forces to bring awareness to this issue.

First responders and health officials say under no circumstance should a child or a pet remain inside a vehicle unattended.

"Since 1998, 1,000 children in the U.S. have died from pediatric vehicle heat stroke. In 2024, 39 children lost their lives this way, so far in 2025, there’s only one death nationwide," said Battalion Chief Eduardo Ainza of ECFD.

The extreme heat in the Imperial Valley can kick up the temps in a vehicle by more than 20 degrees in a matter of minutes.

It's even more dangerous for children, as their body temperature can increase up to five times more than an adult.

"I would say is more of a threat here simply because of our climate here. Fortunately, we have not run across at yet this year, but it's one of those issues that we got to raise awareness because it could so deadly and it happens so quickly," said Battalion Chief Ainza.

And keep this in mind.

"The message in summer time is just take an extra second look to the backseat, is there anything on the backseat that I need to attend to...It's mainly with children but also with pets. You can't leave pets unattended," said Capt. Ernesto Ruedas of CHP.

If you happen to see a child unattended in a car, call 911 immediately.

People who leave a child in a vehicle can face serious consequences.

"You can see child endangerment even manslaughter, most of these cases they are not on purpose people don’t leave a child in a vehicle unattended especially in this heat," said Capt. Ruedas.

To prevent deaths from heat stroke, don't leaving your kids in a car, even if the air conditioning is on.

Check the back seat every time you leave, and always keep the keys out of the child's reach.